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Hon. Dr. Kandeh Yumkella, Chairman of Sierra Leone’s Presidential Initiative on Climate Change, Renewable Energy and Food Security, has arrived in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, to participate in the Sixteenth Session of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) General Assembly.
Dr. Yumkella is attending the high-level global energy forum in his personal capacity, in recognition of his longstanding contributions to IRENA, including his role as an adviser to the Agency’s Director-General. He played a strategic role in the establishment of IRENA during his tenure as Director-General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and as Chair of UN-Energy.
While in Abu Dhabi, Dr. Yumkella is expected to engage in several high-level discussions on renewable energy transition, climate action, and sustainable development. He will also lead meetings on the margins of the General Assembly, including those related to the Accelerated Partnership for Renewables in Africa (APRA), a flagship initiative aimed at scaling up renewable energy investments across the continent.
Sierra Leone has emerged as a key player within APRA, having hosted the Second APRA Investment Forum in November 2025, which brought together policymakers, development partners, and private sector investors to advance Africa’s renewable energy agenda.
Earlier today, at the invitation of IRENA’s Director-General, Dr. Yumkella joined African Ambassadors to the UAE and Permanent Representatives to IRENA during a briefing by the APRA Secretariat on the initiative’s ongoing activities and strategic direction. The briefing was also attended by Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates and Permanent Representative to IRENA, His Excellency Mr. Rashid Sesay, who currently serves as Dean of the African Group of Ambassadors in the UAE.
Sierra Leone is a founding member of the APRA Initiative, underscoring the country’s commitment to renewable energy development, climate resilience, and sustainable food security as part of its broader national and continental development priorities.
